Sock and method of making the same



Nov. 25,1941. DWARDS 2,263,763

SOCK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jah. 1:, i940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1OQTTOQlEZE:

Nov. 25, 1941. s. E. EDWARDS v 2 2,263,763

SOCK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2JAM NVLNTOIQ/ cS/dne q EEdwarafis OM14, Cuba, 1

CATTOQLEXS Patented Nov. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE soon ANDMETHOD or MAKING THE SAME Sidney E. Edwards, Rockford, Ill., assignor toRockford Mitten & Hosiery Company, Rock-' ford, Ill., acorporation ofIllinois This invention relates to a sock having separatelyformedinterconneoted feet one disposed within and free. to move relativeto the other so as to reduce rubbing friction on the wearer's foot.

One object is to provide a sock of the above character having the edgesof the foot openings joined together in a novel manner such as to avoidbulkiness at the seam or wrinkling of either fOOt.

t The invention also residesin the novel manner of joining the inner andouter feet of the sock together and to a top or leg'portion so that thefinished sock presents a uniform and neat appearance.

A further object is to provide a novel method of-making a sockof theabove character.

Other objects and advantages of the invention I will become apparentfrom'the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational viewpartially in section of a sock embodying the present invention.

' Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sections taken along the lines 2-2, 3 -3, and4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged exterior view of a part of the seam between thefeet and top or leg portion of the sock. k

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the top. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view ofpart of the top. Figs. 8 and 9 areelevational views of the inner andouter feet.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the two feet and topsupported for joining of the parts together.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 10.v

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the method ofjoining the parts together.

Fig, 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line l3-l 3 ofFig.10.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions and may be practiced in various ways, I haveillustrated in the drawings and will herein describe the preferredembodiment and manner of carry ing out the invention. It is to beunderstood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention by suchdisclosure but aim to cover all modifications, alternativeconstructions, and methods, falling within the spirit and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

The sock shown in the drawings by way of illustration comprises a top orleg portion 1 adapted to fit over the angle of the wearer and outer andinner feet 2 and 3 of substantially the open ends to the lower end ofthe leg portion I completely around the latter-so that the heels andtoes of the two feet will nest together with-' out wrinkling. As aresult, the two feet may move relative to each other so as to relievefriction on the wearers foot while the sock is being worn, or the innerfoot may be withdrawn from the outer one through the top I when it isdesirable to wash the feet separately.

The two feet are preferably knit with flat stitches, the outer oneusually being of wool while cotton, silk, rayon, or the like is used inknitting the inner foot in order to reduce rubbing friction between thesock and the wearer's foot. Usually,

the inner foot is slightly smaller, forexample, a half size, so as toallow for normal shrinkage of the wool outer foot. The leg portion I ispreferably, though not necessarily, knit separate from the feet usingrib type stitches and cotton, wool, or silk yarn as may be desired.

The invention contemplates joining the lower end of the leg portion Iand the tops of the feet 2 and 3 together in a novel manner whichinvolves generally matching the loops of the stitches around the ends tobe joined and knitting a separate thread 4 through the matched loops toform a seam 5 with the interlocked loops of the joining I threaddisposed inside of the finished sock. To eliminate any possibility ofwrinkling along the seam, the leg portion I and the two feet 2 and 3 areknit with exactly the same numberof stitches in each course at the endsto be joined. "As a result, there is a loop Ii (Fig. 5) at the top ofthe inner foot. 3 corresponding to each loop! on the outer foot 2 and asimilar loop8 on the top. These loops, at the corresponding pointsaround the top and feet, are matched and the thread 4 loopedsuccessively through the matched groups, as shown in Fig. 5, so that nofree loops'remain to detract from the neatness of the seam. For the samereason, each loop on one part is always matched with only one loop ofthe other parts thereby avoiding bulkiness at the seam.

In order that the feet will fit togeth'er properly,

the two must be made of substantially the same,

height between the heel and the'seam 5. To enable this height to begauged accurately, substantially the same number of courses are knit toformthe tops of the feet and knitting with a thread of contrasting coloror material is continued for a few rounds to form pilot bands 9 and I0beyond the courses in which the loops 6 and I are formed. Well-definedreference lines I l and [2 (Figs. 8 and 9) are thus formed beinterveninggrooves 20 in the pedestal.

tween the courses of knitting with the contrasting yarns. A similarreference line 18 (Fig. 6) is formed near the lower end of the top bymoving the needles further during knitting of the course including theloops 8 so that the latter are slight- 1y longer than the loops of theadjacent courses including the pilot band [4 see Fig. '7).

The loops 6, 1, and 8 are matched in a predetermined sequence and heldin register 'while being joined by the thread 4 by an annular series 10of upright fingers l5 equal in number to the number of loops on eachknitted part and upstanding from the periphery of a pedestal I8. Eachfinger has a longitudinal V-shaped groove 11 opening outwardly and itsupperend tapers 15 to a point and curves inwardly to facilitate layingof the loops over the proper. fingers.

To lay the loops 8 on the fingers, the leg portion I is turned insideout, inverted and inserted in the central opening I8 of the pedestal.The upper end is then stretched outwardly, as shown in Fig. 10, to makethe loopsmore prominent as they are placed over the successive fingersaround the entire row (see Fig. 11). Then, the pilot band it isunraveled. Next, the outer or wool sock 2 is inserted in the pedestaloutside out and the loops 1 are placed over the fingers I5 in a similarway using the pilot band 8 as a guide.

After unraveling this hand down to the fingers to leave only the loops Ithereon, the inside or cotton sock 3 is inserted in the pedestal recessout-' side out after which the loops 6 are laid over-the fingerscarrying the corresponding loops 1 so that the loop at the back of theheel of each foot is held on the same finger.

Following unraveling of the band Hi, the loops of each group, will beheld in proper register preparatory to joining them by the thread 4which is carried by a needle l9 which, by suit-' able actuatingmechanism well known in the art, is reciprocated vertically along thegrooves ll of the successive fingers l5 and alternately along Loops 2|are thus projected through the matched groups of loops 6,1, and 8 andeach loop M is caught by a finger 22 and carried thereby into apositionto receive the needle IS on its next downward stroke. As aresult, the loops 2| are interlaced and the loops 6, I, and 8 thus knittogether. The finished sock isfinally lifted on from the fingers l5pulling the inner and outer feet down through the leg portion l to turnthe latter outside out.

, It will be observed that by arranging the loops 8, l, and 8 on thefingers IS in the particular sequence above described with the outsideof the leg portion l adjacent the outside of the wool outer foot and theoutside of the inner cotton foot facing the inside of the outer foot,the interlaced loops 2| will be disposed inside of the finished sock andthe external surface of the finished sock will appear to be knit as oneintegral piece. Also, in the finished sock, the interlaced loops II aredisposed above the upper end of the inner foot and do not add anynoticeable bulkiness to the seam,

I claim as my invention:

1. A knitted sock comprising a top, an outer foot, an inner footdisposed within the outer foot, said top and feet being knit separatelyand each having the same number of stitches in their open ends with theloops of corresponding stitches matching each other, and a separatethread loining the matching loops and interlocked on the inner side ofsaid inner foot.

' 2. The method of making knitted socks which comprises separatelknitting innner and outer sock feet each having a predetermined heightand each knit with one kind of yarn and one or more adjacent courses ofa contrasting yarn at the top whereby to define a dividing line forgauging the height of each foot, supporting said feet in concentricrelation with the corresponding loops of the two feet in the coursesnext ad- 'jacent said dividing line disposed in register with eachother, unraveling said contrasting courses .from each foot, and joiningthe matched pairs of loops successively around said tops.

3. The method of formin a knitted sock comprising separately knitting atop, inner and outer feet all having the same number of stitches in thecourses at their open ends, arranging said ends in concentric relationwith the loops of the end course of said top registering respectivelywith the loops of the corresponding stitches of 0 said inner and outerfeet, and knitting a separate thread through the matching groups ofloops together successively around the sock.

4. The method of forming a knitted sock comprising separately knitting atop, a complete inner foot and a complete outer foot all having the samenumber stitches in the courses at their open ends, arranging said endsin concentric relation with the loops of the end course of said topregistering respectively with the loops of the corresponding stitches ofsaid inner and outer feet and with the outer foot disposed within thetop and the inner foot disposed within the outer foot, and looping'aseparate thread through the successive groups of matched loops.

SIDNEY E. EDWARDS.

